Costs and benefits of tuning parameters of evolutionary algorithms

Abstract. We present an empirical study on the impact of different design choices on the performance of an evolutionary algorithm (EA). Four EA components are considered—parent selection, survivor selection, recombination and mutation—and for each component we study the impact of choosing the right operator and of tuning its free parameter(s). We tune 120 different combinations of EA operators to 4 different classes of fitness landscapes and measure the cost of tuning. We find that components differ greatly in importance. Typically the choice of operator for parent selection has the greatest impact, and mutation needs the most tuning. Regarding individual EAs however, the impact of design choices for one component depends on the choices for other components, as well as on the available amount of resources for tuning.

Beyond Particular Problem Instances: How to Create Meaningful and Generalizable Results

Computational intelligence methods have gained importance in several real-world domains such as process optimization, system identification, data mining, or statistical quality control. Tools are missing, which determine the applicability of computational intelligence methods in these application domains in an objective manner. Statistics provide methods for comparing algorithms on certain data sets. In the past, several test suites were presented and considered as state of the art. However, there are several drawbacks of these test suites, namely: (i) problem instances are somehow artificial and have no direct link to real-world settings; (ii) since there is a fixed number of test instances, algorithms can be fitted or tuned to this specific and very limited set of test functions; (iii) statistical tools for comparisons of several algorithms on several test problem instances are relatively complex and not easily to analyze. We propose a methodology to overcome these difficulties. It is based on standard ideas from statistics: analysis of variance and its extension to mixed models. This paper combines essential ideas from two approaches: problem generation and statistical analysis of computer experiments

Meta-learning computational intelligence architectures

In computational intelligence, the term \u27memetic algorithm\u27 has come to be associated with the algorithmic pairing of a global search method with a local search method. In a sociological context, a \u27meme\u27 has been loosely defined as a unit of cultural information, the social analog of genes for individuals. Both of these definitions are inadequate, as \u27memetic algorithm\u27 is too specific, and ultimately a misnomer, as much as a \u27meme\u27 is defined too generally to be of scientific use. In this dissertation the notion of memes and meta-learning is extended from a computational viewpoint and the purpose, definitions, design guidelines and architecture for effective meta-learning are explored. The background and structure of meta-learning architectures is discussed, incorporating viewpoints from psychology, sociology, computational intelligence, and engineering. The benefits and limitations of meme-based learning are demonstrated through two experimental case studies -- Meta-Learning Genetic Programming and Meta- Learning Traveling Salesman Problem Optimization. Additionally, the development and properties of several new algorithms are detailed, inspired by the previous case-studies. With applications ranging from cognitive science to machine learning, meta-learning has the potential to provide much-needed stimulation to the field of computational intelligence by providing a framework for higher order learning --Abstract, page iii

Optimization of systems reliability by metaheuristic approach

The application of metaheuristic approaches in addressing the reliability of systems through optimization is of greater interest to researchers and designers in recent years. Reliability optimization has become an essential part of the design and operation of largescale manufacturing systems. This thesis addresses the optimization of system-reliability for series–parallel systems to solve redundant, continuous, and combinatorial optimization problems in reliability engineering by using metaheuristic approaches (MAs). The problem is to select the best redundancy strategy, component, and redundancy level for each subsystem to maximize the system reliability under system-level constraints. This type of problem involves the selection of components with multiple choices and redundancy levels that yield the maximum benefits, and it is subject to the cost and weight constraints at the system level. These are very common and realistic problems faced in the conceptual design of numerous engineering systems. The development of efficient solutions to these problems is becoming progressively important because mechanical systems are becoming increasingly complex, while development plans are decreasing in size and reliability requirements are rapidly changing and becoming increasingly difficult to adhere to. An optimal design solution can be obtained very frequently and more quickly by using genetic algorithm redundancy allocation problems (GARAPs). In general, redundancy allocation problems (RAPs) are difficult to solve for real cases, especially in large-scale situations. In this study, the reliability optimization of a series–parallel by using a genetic algorithm (GA) and statistical analysis is considered. The approach discussed herein can be applied to address the challenges in system reliability that includes redundant numbers of carefully chosen modules, overall cost, and overall weight. Most related studies have focused only on the single-objective optimization of RAP. Multiobjective optimization has not yet attracted much attention. This research project examines the multiobjective situation by focusing on multiobjective formulation, which is useful in maximizing system reliability while simultaneously minimizing system cost and weight to solve the RAP. The present study applies a methodology for optimizing the reliability of a series–parallel system based on multiobjective optimization and multistate reliability by using a hybrid GA and a fuzzy function. The study aims to determine the strategy for selecting the degree of redundancy for every subsystem to exploit the general system reliability depending on the overall cost and weight limitations. In addition, the outcomes of the case study for optimizing the reliability of the series–parallel system are presented, and the relationships with previously investigated phenomena are presented to determine the performance of the GA under review. Furthermore, this study established a new metaheuristic-based technique for resolving multiobjective optimization challenges, such as the common reliability redundancy allocation problem. Additionally, a new simulation process was developed to generate practical tools for designing reliable series–parallel systems. Hence, metaheuristic methods were applied for solving such difficult and complex problems. In addition, metaheuristics provide a useful compromise between the amount of computation time required and the quality of the approximated solution space. The industrial challenges include the maximization of system reliability subject to limited system cost and weight, minimization of system weight subject to limited system cost and the system reliability requirements and increasing of quality components through optimization and system reliability. Furthermore, a real-life situation research on security control of a gas turbine in the overspeed state was explored in this study with the aim of verifying the proposed algorithm from the context of system optimization

Parameter Tuning and Scientific Testing in Evolutionary Algorithms

Eiben, A.E. [Promotor

Design of Evolutionary Algorithms - A Statistical Perspective

International audienceThis paper describes a statistical method that helps to find good parameter settings for evolutionary algorithms. The method builds a functional relationship between the algorithm's performance and its parameter values. This relationship-a statistical model-can be identified thanks to simulation data. Estimation and test procedures are used to evaluate the effect of parameter variation. In addition, good parameter settings can be investigated with a reduced number of experiments. Problem labeling can also be considered as a model variable and the method enables identifying classes of problems for which the algorithm behaves similarly. Defining such classes increases the quality of estimations without increasing the computational cost